Sky's €1m deal to sponsor Tubs' Late Late Show

RTE is getting into bed with a rival broadcaster on Friday nights for the tidy sum of €1m. The national broadcaster has agreed a new sponsorship deal with Sky Broadband for the Late Late Show.

Station bosses have spent several months securing a replacement for Liberty Insurance, who held the prime advertising slots during the chat show.

It has now emerged that those spaces will feature advertisements for Sky Broadband in what is said to be the most valuable sponsorship arrangement in RTE. It is expected to be formally announced this week.

Sky joins the ranks of Denny, who sponsor Fair City, Bank of Ireland, who are associated with Dragons' Den, and Harvey Norman, who sponsor the Today show.

Ryan Tubridy's Late Late Show continues to be one of the best performers for the station, with the Christmas Toy Show consistently pulling in more than one million viewers.

Sky already pays for considerable advertising on RTE, with their recent advert featuring Pierce Brosnan being a regular on the station.

It is understood that the deal includes several 'stings' throughout the Late Late.

Sky are also likely to get at least 20 audience tickets per episode and the right to host a number of receptions after the show.

Liberty Insurance decided not to renew its contract at the end of last season. It had previously held the main sponsorship role under the name Quinn Insurance.